


To Approach a Stranger

by thesatanistauthor



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: AU, Cute, Fluff, Fluffy, M/M, first meeting AU, levi panic asks nico to kiss him because his ex is behind him, taryn has a dog
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-03-01 12:41:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18800566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesatanistauthor/pseuds/thesatanistauthor
Summary: Levi and Taryn are out walking Taryn's dog when Levi spots his ex. He panics and approaches a random guy, asking him to pretend to be his boyfriend and kiss him.Little did he know, this event would lead to something so much more.





	To Approach a Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> this was heavily inspired by someone i follow on tumblr (theswiftiewholived, particularly) so all credits go to them. they wrote a drabble based on a 'cute meet' prompt. so, thank you to them for inspiring me to write!

Levi had no idea why he'd decided to get up so early to help Taryn walk her dog. Charlie was a massive husky, who had no clue just how strong he was. If he decided to go, then whoever was leading him would be going with him, whether they wanted to or not. Levi had, unfortunately, found that out the hard way, a couple of times.

Their shift from the night before had been long and tedious, which is why Levi wasn't happy with the fact Taryn had pulled him out of bed at ten in the morning to walk Charlie. She was the one who had wanted the dog in the first place, not him. As much as he loved Charlie, that dog was a pain in the ass at times. 

"At least it isn't raining," Levi commented, hands shoved deep in his pockets. Charlie was happily trotting beside Taryn as they strolled, taking in the beauty that was the park when it wasn't full of high teenagers. 

"Don't jinx it, Levi. I know what you're like for jinxing things," Taryn quipped, kicking a small rock, watching as it skipped along the path in front of them. Of course, Charlie decided to try to chase the stone, but luckily, Taryn was prepared. She tugged on his leash a little, signaling for him to leave.  

Levi let out a short sigh, bringing one of his hands out from his pocket to push his glasses up his nose. "If it was raining, I'd still be in bed."

"Can you just enjoy this, please? I know yesterday tired you out. Charlie needed to be walked." Taryn tucked a strand of stray hair behind her ear as she coughed, patting her chest slightly afterward. Levi glanced at her, brow raised. 

"You better not be getting ill," It wouldn't be ideal, that was for sure. Neither of them could afford to be ill, especially as interns. "If you get ill, I will kill you."

"I'd like to see you try."

"I will!" Levi joked, nudging his shoulder against Taryn's. They shared a moments laughter before Levi sighed, looking up at the path in front of him. 

What he hadn't expected to see was his ex, who was walking towards them. His attention was currently caught on his phone. Levi stopped abruptly in his path, a sudden panic taking over him. This was not something he wanted to be dealing with right now. Taryn stopped, face twisted with confusion, until she spotted the man in front of them. 

A twisted grin slid across her face as she turned to Levi. "Well, would you look at that. If it isn't Damien. You better hope he doesn't see you!"

"Taryn!" Levi spat through gritted teeth, not knowing what he could do in this situation. There was no way he could just walk straight past him, especially with their past. It was inevitable that Damien would want to speak to Levi. "What do I do?"

"I don't know!" 

"Set Charlie on him!"

"Levi!" Taryn instinctively pulled the dog closer to her side, her hand reaching down to scratch behind Charlie's ear. He let out a pleased whine, leaning his head against Taryn's leg, enjoying the affection. 

Levi let out a frustrated groan as he glanced around. There weren't any bushes he could dive into, nor were there any rocks he could hide behind. There was nothing; no form of escape from the inevitable torture he was about to endure. 

Damien and Levi had dated for a good year or so during med school. It had burnt hot and white, like a flame, until it didn't. Once it burnt out, it left a smoking wick, destroyed and unable to be relit. It had been good for the first few months, when they were both so caught up in one another they couldn't quite care about the world around them. 

It was about eight months in that Damien began to distance himself. Partying became a hobby of his, as did flirting, with everyone and anyone. Levi saw less and less of him, as he studied and Damien become ridiculously drunk at constant parties. Though Levi was so infatuated with Damien, he couldn't see what he was doing to him. 

It was just a few weeks after a year of dating that Damian up and left with no explanation. Not only did he leave Levi, saying not a single word to him, but he also left med school. No one had any idea where he had disappeared to. 

Until now, at least. 

Maybe there was a chance they would walk past each other and nothing would be exchanged. Levi hoped with all his heart that would be the case. 

However, it wasn't. Damien happened to look up at the path in front of him to check where he was going, only to spot Levi and Taryn in front of him. The sheer panic that set in when Damien locked eyes with Levi was enough to almost knock him to the ground. 

If he wanted to get out of this, he would have to think and act quick. There was no chance in hiding now; Damien had spotted them and was now making his way over. 

That was when Levi spotted a guy a few meters back from Damien. He was caught up in phone but looked friendly enough, and he had an idea. He turned to look at Taryn, subtly nodding his head to the guy behind Damien, eyes speaking for him. Taryn just nodded once and that was enough to send Levi off in a jog, rushing straight past Damien to the guy walking behind him. 

Damien went to speak up at Levi passed him, only to get blatantly ignored. A confused look crossed his face as he turned to watch Levi run up to this guy behind him. Taryn couldn't believe Levi was actually doing this; he had never been the confident type around guys, especially after Damien. 

The sound of running footsteps against loose gravel caused the guy to look up from his phone, brows furrowed as he tried to figure out what was going on. Then, Levi stopped in front of him, a hopeful look glazed across his eyes as he looked up at this random stranger. 

"Hi, you don't know me and I don't know you, but I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend," Levi rushed out, cheeks slightly flushed, a mixture between the chilly morning air and the running he had just done. The stranger at first looked somewhat stunned, until his expression melted into a faint smirk. "The guy currently walking up behind me is my ex, so I need you to kiss me."

Levi really couldn't believe himself. Never in his life did he expect to be running up to a random stranger, asking them to kiss him because his ex was trying to talk to him. And never had he expected the stranger to be a literal walking piece of art. 

Of course, Levi just  _had_ to choose the most attractive guy he had ever set his eyes on. 

The guy gave a slight nod, momentarily glancing behind Levi at the guy. Levi waited, his heart racing in his chest, hoping that this guy would actually help him. He really,  _really_ wanted him to help him out. 

It was just a few seconds later that the attractive stranger cupped Levi's jaw in his hands, thumbs grazing against his cheek before he leaned down, connecting his lips to Levi's. Though Levi knew this stranger was about to kiss him, the mere gentleness of it caught him off-guard. Even so, he still melted into the kiss, hands coming up to rest against the stranger's waist, his fingers curling up to grip the fabric of his jacket. 

Levi leaned up into the kiss, taking a step closer to the stranger. For a moment, he forgot that this guy was someone he didn't even know. The kiss felt far too real. It felt far too good for it to be faked. 

Taryn watched on in awe, a grin spreading from ear to ear as she watched her best friend kiss some seriously attractive stranger, all whilst his ex looked on in dismay. This was a day she never thought she'd witness. Charlie let out a sigh as he decided to lay down on the floor, now that Taryn wasn't going anywhere. 

The kiss lasted a little longer than either of them had anticipated; they'd gotten so caught up in one another that they forgot for a moment they were complete strangers to each other. It was Levi who pulled back first, his fingers still firmly gripping the jacket of the stranger who just kissed him. 

For a few moments after, Levi couldn't open his eyes again. That kiss was far too good. Far too good for him to even begin to comprehend. He'd never experienced a kiss quite as... magical. He let out a small, breathy chuckle as he blinked his eyes open, staring up at the stranger, who just had the fondest grin slapped across his face. 

If you looked up the definition of doe-eyed, there would just be a picture of Levi there instead of an actual description. 

The stranger glimpsed down at Levi's lips, his thumb ghosting over his bottom lip. Levi could feel his heart pounding against his chest, leaving him barely able to breathe. Or, perhaps, it was the blinding beauty of this stranger that was making it difficult. Then, the stranger leaned down again, catching Levi's lips with his own. 

This time, it was different. The kiss was harder, more rushed. It the first kiss wasn't enough to make Levi fall for this guy, then this kiss surely was. There was feeling in this kiss, there was a hint of passion and want that he couldn't quite describe. 

Levi had completely forgotten about Damien, his mind now completely occupied by the walking piece of art that was currently holding him. His whole mind just felt scrambled as he tried to process what had just happened between him and this complete stranger. This  _extremely_ attractive stranger, who donned this look of absolute content as he stared down at Levi. 

Damien had made his way over to Taryn as he watched Levi and this stranger kiss, hoping that she would be able to answer some questions he had. During med school, Damien and Taryn constantly argued with each other. They never really got along, no matter how hard Levi had tried to get them to be friends. 

"Taryn, good to see you," Damien forced a little smile as he approached Taryn. Charlie instantly stood up, putting himself a few paces in front of Taryn. Even he seemed to sense that Damien wasn't a great guy. "I, uh- Who's that with Levi?"

"Well, if it isn't demon-"

Damien interrupted Taryn, holding his hand up to stop her. "Damien."

"Same thing," Taryn scoffed, a sly grin playing at her lips. "That is his boyfriend. What, you didn't know? God, he's a great guy. Treats Levi like an absolute king."

Taryn really played it up, knowing that it would irk Damien. She could see how he shifted uncomfortably as he watched Levi from a  distance, his lips pursed together in a tight line as he cleared his throat. She was having far too much fun. 

"Right. Yeah. I'm just- I'm going to go say hi." Damien left Taryn's side before she could stop him. However, she was rather excited to see how this would all unfold. There was a bench to her left, so she decided to sit, regretting her decision to not bring some popcorn with her. 

This sure was going to be thrilling. 

The kiss broke as Levi pulled back again, needing to take a moment to breathe. Both of them were breathing heavier than before, but both of them shared a smile which said it all. They rested their foreheads together, Levi letting out a breathy laugh as he was finally able to comprehend what had just happened. 

"Don't look now," The stranger whispered, dropping his hands down to rest on Levi's shoulders. "But your ex is still walking over."

"Shit, okay. Just- play along, please," Levi muttered, letting out a short sigh of defeat. Even so, he forced himself to smile and turned around, catching Damien's eye. 

The stranger happily obliged, instantly snaking an arm around Levi's waist, tugging him close into his side. Just to make it even better, he leaned down, pressing a kiss to Levi's cheek. It caused Levi's cheeks to flush a light shade of pink, a shy smile growing across his face. 

If he didn't believe love at first sight, he sure did now. 

Damien stopped just in front of the two, crossing his arms over his chest as he glanced between Levi and his- supposed- new boyfriend. 

"Levi, hi," Damien managed, letting out a breath he'd been holding for a little too long. Levi donned this smug grin as he looked Damien up and down. "It's great to see you. You look great."

"Damien," Levi leaned his head against the stranger's shoulder, letting out a content little sigh as he did. The way Damien shifted and cleared his throat as he watched Levi almost caused him to laugh. He was having far too much fun with this. "It's good to see you too."

"Who's this then?"

"Oh, this here is my boyfriend," Levi lifted his head from his shoulder, turning to face the stranger, who still had an arm wrapped securely around his waist. Levi grinned, looking up at him as he rested his hand against the stranger's chest, fingers tapping against his chest absent-mindedly. It was at this point Levi realized he had no idea what this guy was called. "Gilbert."

The stranger bit down on his bottom lip to stop himself from laughing. Of all names, Levi just had to choose Gilbert. Even so, he still played along with it, perhaps a little too convincingly. He reached out a hand towards Damien, a somewhat condescending smile tugging at the corner of his lips. 

"That's me, though I tend to go by Bertie." 

Levi let out a mollified breath, watching as Damien hesitantly reached out, shaking his hand firmly. Damien looked confused as he switched his gaze between the two. 

"So, uh, what are you up to, nowadays?" Damien questioned, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. 

"Oh, I work at the hospital just down the road, Grey Sloan, you know?" Levi was happy to brag about working at such a well-known, well-respected hospital. The stranger next to him glanced down at him, biting back a grin. "I'm an intern there. It's great. What about you? You just disappeared from med school like it was nothing. You just up and left."

There was a bite to Levi's words as he spoke, the smile he wore fading into something more like a scowl. Damien kicked at the loose gravel beneath his foot, lowering his head as he let out a long sigh. Levi waited for a reply, hoping to finally get some closure on what actually happened. After all these years, he still had no idea what had happened. 

Sensing Levi tense up next to him, the stranger unwrapped his arm from Levi's waist so he could grasp his hand, intertwining their fingers. He gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, resting his other hand over the top of their already interlocked ones. 

"I, uh," Damien hesitated. "I left because I didn't feel it was right for me. I went to law school instead. I'm a lawyer, now."

"Huh, sounds boring."

He couldn't help but let out a snort at Levi's words, not expecting that from him at all. The shocked look Damien wore really said it all. This was obviously quite out of character for him. Damien scowled at Levi before he turned his attention to the guy next to him, staring him up and down, as if he was some sort of challenge. 

"And what exactly do you do then, Bertie?" Damien drew out his name, and it caused him to smirk. Levi looked up at him, hoping for a good- and possibly witty- response. "Work retail, or maybe you're a personal trainer? Oh, you probably have some lame job as a CEO, right?"

"Actually, no. I work at the hospital too. I'm an orthopedic fellow. I mend bones for a living, but I can also break them too."

Oh,  _wow_. Levi had not expected that. Nor did he expect the low tone of this guy's voice at the slight threat. It was enough to make Damien back right off, all sense of confidence leaving him. Levi wanted nothing more than to kiss this guy again and thank him for putting Damien in his place. 

"Right. I have to run, so I guess I'll see you around, Levi."

Levi scoffed and rolled his eyes at Damien's comment, shaking his head in disagreement. "No, I don't think you will."

Damien just nodded as he pursed his lips together, awkwardly walking away from the two of them just moments later. Taryn was still watching from the bench, Charlie having fallen asleep on the ground beside her feet. She couldn't really hear the exchange going on but she could tell from the facial expressions and the body language that something good had just happened. 

As soon as Damien was a far enough distance away, Levi dropped the stranger's hand, letting out the most relieved sigh. He turned to him, folding his arms across his stomach as he looked up at the stranger, a shy grin tugging at his lips. 

"I am so, so sorry for putting you on the spot like that," Levi apologized as he kicked at the floor, feeling a sense of embarrassment growing deep in the pit of his chest. "I shouldn't have asked you to do such a thing for me. I don't even know if you're gay, or what. That was wrong of me but thank you so so much, it means a lot."

"No, no, it's fine. Is it weird to say I enjoyed it?" The stranger let out a small laugh as he shifted his weight from one foot to another. Levi snapped his head up, eyes wide as he stared at the man stood in front of him. 

"I- Well, I guess-"

"Seriously though, Gilbert? Of all the names you could have thought of, Gilbert was the one you chose?"

Levi took a moment to process what he was saying before the sheer embarrassment hit him full on. He brought his hands up to his face, letting out a small whine as he shook his head. He felt absolutely mortified at his choice of name, especially since it was such an awful name, to begin with. 

"I panicked!" There was really nothing else Levi could say. He did panic and for some reason, that was the only name he could think of. 

"Well, I think you should know my name is Nico, not Gilbert, or Bertie. Are you really an intern at the hospital?" Nico, huh? That name sure suited him a lot better than Gilbert did. 

Levi nodded slowly, dropping his arms down to his side. A pleased grin crossed Nico's face as he glanced around for a moment, before turning his attention back to Levi. "That just makes this a whole lot better for me."

"Wait, you're really an orthopedic fellow?" Levi seemed to light up at this fact. Nico nodded proudly, eliciting a toothy grin from Levi, who was more than elated to hear that Nico was working at the same place as him. 

"I really am. Well, I start tomorrow, at least. Which- hopefully- means I get to see more of you around. If that's okay with you, of course?" Nico's tone was hopeful, yet it was also somewhat flirtatious. 

Levi stumbled over his words as he tried desperately to reply. He eventually gave up, a shy chuckle sounding from him as he nodded. Nico couldn't hide his delighted grin as he reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone to unlock it before he handed it over to Levi. 

Levi hesitantly took it from Nico, a brow raised in question as he looked up at him. Then he realized what Nico was asking of him, letting out a small surprised ' _oh_ ' as he quickly typed in his number, reading over it and quietly repeating it to himself to make sure he got it correct. Once he was sure it was correct, he saved it and handed the phone back to Nico. 

Nico checked over the contact before sending a quick message to Levi, just to make sure. Levi's phone sounded from his jacket pocket, which assured Nico that the number was actually correct. 

"Well, I may as well ask you now, before you leave," Nico started as he placed his phone back into his pocket, sucking in a nervous breath as he eyed Levi. "Do you want to go out for drinks tonight? You know, before I start my new job tomorrow."

Levi raised his brows, honestly surprised that he was currently being asked out on a date. Nico was way too far out of his league; at least, that is what he believed. "Yeah, yes- That sounds great! I know a great bar we can go to?"

"Sounds like a date," A sly smirk grew across Nico's lips. "How about I pick you up at eight, then?"

Levi pursed his lips together as he rocked on the ball of his foot, trying to conceal his smile as he nodded happily. "That sounds perfect."

"Alright then, eight it is. Text me your address when you get home. I have to get going, I have to meet my friend, but I'll see you later!" Nico brushed past Levi, walking backwards for a few steps as he waved goodbye to him, before rushing off to go meet his friend. Levi felt elated as he watched Nico leave, feeling as though his heart was simply swelling with happiness. 

It was a few moments after that Levi finally shook himself back into reality and jogged back over to meet Taryn, collapsing on the bench next to her as he let out a giddy sigh. His cheeks were aching from how much he was smiling, yet he really couldn't care. This was the best he'd ever felt in his whole life- well, apart from when he graduated from med school- but this was a very close second. 

"Well, you seem happy," Taryn commented, turning her body to face Levi. He just nodded in response, unable to speak. "I see you gave him your number, then?"

Again, Levi nodded, humming in response to Taryn's question. Charlie was beginning to get impatient as he let out a whine, jumping up and placing his front paws on the bench to catch Taryn's attention. His tail was wagging as he pawed at her leg.

She reached out, scratching behind his ear, as she wasn't ready to leave just yet. "What's his name?"

"Nico." The name rolled off his tongue, a great smile stretching from ear to ear as he repeated Nico's name to himself. "His name is Nico. And you'll never guess what!"

Levi sat up so fast that it startled Charlie, causing him to jump down from the bench. It also startled Taryn, as she placed her hand over her chest at the sudden movement. "Jesus, Levi, calm down!"

"He works at the hospital! He's an orthopedic fellow and he starts tomorrow, which means-"

"You get to make out in the on-call rooms like every other couple in the hospital?"

A bright blush spread across Levi's cheeks as he slapped Taryn's arm, though he knew that they would probably end up in an on-call room at some point. 

"It means I get to see him more. He asked me out for drinks tonight." Levi admitted, though he seemed shy about it. Taryn gasped at him, thrilled to hear that the two of them were actually going out on a date. She seemed more excited than Levi did.

Taryn let out a squeal as she clapped her hands together, practically dancing in her seat. "Levi, I'm so proud of you!" Taryn's reaction elicited a grin from Levi as he stood from the bench, sighing contently as he looked down at her and Charlie. "Right, we better get going, little monster down here is getting impatient. You're telling me all about what happened between Nico, you, and Damien when we get back?"

Levi rolled his eyes playfully as he let out an amused huff. "Fine, but you have to promise not to tell anyone about this yet, okay?"

"Okay, I promise."

Levi simply couldn't wait to see Nico again. That kiss really was something special. That kiss wasn't just a simple kiss. It was something so much more and Levi couldn't quite tell what it was, but he knew what he wanted it to be. 

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoyed this as much as i enjoyed writing it!!


End file.
